It Happened in Charleston Books in Order

The It Happened in Charleston series brings together charming Southern settings, messy emotions, and two very different love stories set in the same circle of friends. Both books are contemporary, closed door romances that balance fizzy banter with honest looks at chronic illness, family pressure, and the fear of getting hurt again.

The series opens with The Match, which centers on Evie Jones, a young woman with epilepsy whose life was changed when a golden retriever named Charlie became her service dog. Grateful for the independence he gives her, Evie pours all her energy into Southern Service Paws, the small nonprofit that trains dogs for clients who need them. The organization is barely staying afloat, and Evie and her mentor are scrambling to pull off a fundraiser big enough to keep their doors open.

Into that chaos walks Jacob Broaden, a devoted single dad who is still adjusting to his ten year old daughter Sam’s epilepsy diagnosis. Sam secretly schedules a consultation with Evie because she is desperate for a service dog of her own. Jacob arrives at the meeting guarded and overwhelmed, and his first clash with Evie is all sharp words and crossed wires. As they work together to match Sam with a dog named Daisy, sparks slowly change from irritation to attraction, and Evie finds herself wanting a family of her own for the first time.

The second book, The Enemy, shifts the spotlight to June Broaden, Jacob’s sister and the proud owner of a busy donut shop in Charleston. June has spent twelve years nursing a grudge, and a secret crush, on her high school rival Ryan Henderson. He once pulled a cruel almost kiss prank on graduation night, and she has built an entire inner narrative around proving she is better off without him. When he returns to town as a wildly successful chef for a friend’s wedding, that long simmering rivalry flares right back to life.

Wedding week forces June and Ryan into each other’s orbit as they end up collaborating on catering and spending long nights in the same kitchen. Old pranks give way to genuine conversations, and June’s one date rule, designed to keep her from ever getting hurt again, starts to crack. The book leans into enemies to lovers fun, but it also takes June’s fear of vulnerability seriously as she questions whether Ryan’s attention is just another game or something lasting.

Across both novels Charleston feels like another character, from the waterfront views to the cozy shops and tight-knit neighborhoods where everyone knows your business. The series is full of dogs, donuts, found family, and people learning to live fully with conditions that do not go away. Readers who like warm, hopeful romance with plenty of humor and just enough emotional bite will find It Happened in Charleston a satisfying two book arc.